HeliGrass 2023

HELIGRASS IS AN INTIMATE HELISKIING AND ACOUSTIC MUSIC EXPERIENCE IN THE WILDS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAST FRONTIER HELISKIING.

Join members and athletes of the Icelantic Skis team and Michael Kang of the String Cheese Incident, Lech Wierzynski of The California Honeydrops, Mark Morris of Rapid Grass, and Justin Konrad of Bowregard for the heli trip of your dreams.

Ripley creek lodge is located in Stewart BC. a rustic frontier town adjacent to the Alaska panhandle. Deep in the coast mountain range, the lodge is funky, the skiing is advanced, and the topography is breathtaking.

Spots are limited and the process is by application only. To sign up, please fill out the below form and we will respond quickly!

Overview:

A once in a lifetime experience with 4 days of incredible heliskiing at Ripley Creek, BC and nightly acoustic music with some of the world's finest jam grass musicians.

Dates:

MARCH 23-29 2023

(4 nights lodging & 4 days of heliskiing. Full itinerary below)

Price:

$12,550 CAD OR (APPROXIMATELY)$9,850 USD

PRE-REGISTER APPLICATION

4 Day Heliski Tour Includes

4 days heliskiing at Last Frontier Heliskiing – Ripley Creek
Guarantee of 17,500 vertical meters [57,500 vertical feet]
Nightly acoustic music with some of the finest jam grass muscians [subject to change]
Only 3 groups of 4 guests per A-Star helicopter
Guide services (CSGA/ ACMG / UIAGM certified)
Double occupancy accommodation at the Ripley Creek Inn and all meals included at the Bitter Creek Cafe
Use of powder skis and poles [snowboards too if you ride a plank]
Use of digital avalanche transceivers and ABS Airbag, probe and shovel
Return ground transfers between Terrace and Ripley Creek In

Additional Costs

Return air transfer Vancouver to Terrace
Pre/Post heliski accommodation in Vancouver: from CAD $290/night and in Terrace: from CAD $240/night/room
Extra vertical: CAD $185 per 1,000 vertical meters [$56 per 1,000 vertical feet]

LODGING INFORMATION

The historic mining town of Stewart, BC has a heart of gold, though its riches these days are in adventures of another kind. Opposite the Alaskan Panhandle, the landscape is dramatic: glaciers and craggy, snow-capped peaks at the head of the Portland Canal, a saltwater fjord that runs 114 km to the Pacific Ocean. The area’s bounty of rugged terrain makes up the southern part of our tenure, and fewer than 300 locals call it home including Last Frontier. Along the town’s main strip, a hodgepodge of funky heritage buildings were given new life as the Inn. There’s space for up to 24 guests, and with no two rooms alike, you may stay in a prospector’s house, an old clothing shop —or even a former brothel.

This heliskiing lodge is about the bare essentials; hot-tub and sauna for the muscles, and soulful food served across the street at the Bitter Creek Cafe, which conveniently doubles up as our Bar. During downtime, grab a bike and explore Stewart’s quirky back streets, check out the museum or cross the border to Alaska to get Hyderized (don’t ask, just do it).

>> QUESTIONS? Last Frontier Heliskiing and Icelantic will help with all logistical concerns!
>> EMAIL US to get in contact at experiences@icelanticskis.com

TRAVEL LOGISTICS & ITINERARY:

Thursday, March 23:
Arrive in Vancouver. Accommodation in Vancouver.

Friday, March 24:
YOU book Air Canada flight AC8437* departs Vancouver-YVR 08:20, arrives Terrace-YXT 09:59. Last Frontier ground transfer departs Terrace airport 10:45, arrives atthe Ripley Creek Inn at approximately 15:30.

Saturday, March 25:
First day of heliskiing.

Tuesday, March 28:
Last day of skiing ends at 14:00 hours. Last Frontier ground transfer departs 16:00, arrives Terrace at approximately 21:00. Overnight at the ComfortInn.

Wednesday, March 29:
Your choice to book either outbound flight as best helps with your international flight home.

Air Canada flight AC8438* departs Terrace-YXT 06:00, arrives Vancouver-YVR 07:34
Westjetflight WS3118* departs Terrace-YXT 06:35, arrives Vancouver-YVR 08:15
Air Canada flight AC8440* departs Terrace-YXT 11:05, arrives Vancouver-YVR 12:39

* Please note that Air Canada can change the flight numbers.

>> QUESTIONS? Last Frontier Heliskiing and Icelantic will help with all logistical concerns!
>> EMAIL US to get in contact at experiences@icelanticskis.com

ABOUT RIPLEY CREEK

Read all about Ripley Creek on the Last Frontier HeliSkiing website here.

At the end of Highway 37A, near the Alaskan border, lies one of the most remote heliskiing locations in North America – Stewart, B.C.

It’s a historic mining town that appears to have been forgotten by time. The houses are old, some even abandoned, remnants of former boom times. Prior to World War I, the town’s population was more than 10,000 people.

Nestled at the end of the Portland Canal, rugged peaks and glacier tongues make up Ripley Creek’s backdrop. There’s space for up to 24 guests, and with no two rooms alike, there’s the option to stay in a prospector’s house, an old clothing shop or even a former brothel.

Even if you have stayed at Ripley Creek several times, each visit is a new adventure. The lodge is at the southern end of our tenure – a tenure that is roughly four times the size of Hong Kong. The area is so vast, we’re still exploring it. If you’re lucky, you might even get a first descent and ripe a line never skied before.

Since we use small helicopters and have groups of just four, plus a guide, the ski options are plentiful. For example, we can ski steep narrow forested couloirs, while most other heliskiing operators, that have groups of up to 11 guests, cannot.

With smaller groups comes freedom.

Some of the heliski runs at Ripley Creek tend to be steeper and longer than Bell 2’s. If conditions are right, guests may get to heliski slopes that are up to 2,000 metres in elevation – that’s two kilometers of vertical – which is unheard of for most heliski operations.

It’s common to ski from mountain tops to valley bottoms via long glacier runs peeling off massive icefields. Skiers get to pass between trees that are as big as the pillars from the Parthenon temple. Since Ripley Creek’s terrain is generally more aggressive, it’s not well suited to intermediate skiers and snowboarders. It’s for the strongest, keenest and most adventurous guests.

As a result, the average weekly vertical skied is almost 45,700 meters [150,000 feet], which is 8 times the height of Mount Everest. It’s also on average, 2,700 meters [9,000 feet] more than Bell 2 Lodge.

Stewart is dominated by the rugged Coast Mountains, which are draped in old-growth rainforest. When you step out of the helicopter at the top of a run, the view is an endless sea of ice and peaks, with the distant emerald green Pacific Ocean twinkling.

>> READ MORE ABOUT THE TERRAIN YOU'LL BE SKIING HERE

Here are a handful of questions and answers, many from Last Frontier Heliskiing directly. For more FAQs and general information, head to their website.

How good do I have to be to go heliskiing or heliboarding?

Heli skiing and heli boarding is not for novices — there we said it! As much as we’d like to invite everyone to join us, we want to ensure all of our guests enjoy their experience. You don’t need to be pro, but you do need to be proficient. Whether you ski or ride, you should feel comfortable in a helicopter and be able to confidently navigate the challenges of varied terrain and snow conditions. From chest-deep powder to wind-whipped crust, wide-open alpine to steep and narrow trees, we encounter it all in our backcountry. Skiers should be able to make strong and controlled parallel turns with confidence and, if the situation calls for it, you can side slip, step up sideways, traverse and make kick turns. Snowboarders need to have balanced pressure and edging skills. Even if you don’t have a ton of powder experience, you need to be able to maintain control in backcountry conditions.

How fit do I need to be?

The better physical shape you are in, the more you will be able to ski and ride and the more fun you will ultimately have. We have never heard someone returning home after their heli trip saying, “You know, it was a great trip, but I was fit.”

What do I need to bring?

See the checklist via the LFH trip preparation section here.

Meet the Crew

Michael Kang

String Cheese Incident

@String Cheese Incident on Instagram

Over the past decade, The String Cheese Incident has emerged as one of America’s most significant independent bands. Born in 1993 in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, SCI has since released 10 albums, 6 DVDs and countless live recordings from their relentless tour schedule. Their 20 year history is packed full of surreal experiences, epic moments, groundbreaking involvement and huge accomplishments. They have been recognized for their commitment to musical creativity and integrity, for their community spirit, philanthropic endeavors, and for their innovative approach to the business of music.

Lech Wierzynsk

California Honeydrops

@Lech on Instagram

This year has also brought the Honeydrops’ return to live music with a fall national tour, their first headlining date at Red Rocks, as well as performances at festivals across the country including FloydFest, High Sierra, and Burning Man. Known for bringing vibrant energy and infectious dance-party vibes to their shows, the Honeydrops have taken the party all over the world, touring widely across North America, Europe, and Australia. In 2016 and 2017, the Honeydrops were honored to play with Bonnie Raitt on her North America release tour, and in the past have been privileged to support the likes of B.B. King, Allen Toussaint, Buddy Guy, and Dr. John. Whether in those high-profile performances or in more intimate venues where the band can leave the stage and get down on the dance floor themselves, the California Honeydrops’ shared vision and purpose remain: to make the audience dance and sing—and to give back. Since 2019, the band has used its “Spreadin’ Honey Project” to partner with local nonprofits in each city they visit on tour, raising awareness and funds for causes such as food banks, homeless shelters, youth centers, disaster relief efforts, and social justice initiatives.

Mark Morris

Rapidgrass

@Mark Morris on Instagram

Rapidgrass embodies the notion that nature, and particularly mountains, can bring out the best in our art, and we have dedicated much of our creative energy into bringing that art back to the people of the mountains. Rapidgrass focuses on travel to mountain towns and inspires mountain people and athletes around the globe. Our music is motivated by and made for those who find peace in the mountains. We focus our energy to outdoor mountain lifestyle/culture events. Focusing our travels to mountain towns has also given us a great palate of mountain music styles to draw from including styles from North America, France, Italy, Russia, Tibet, Argentina, and Ireland. The full-time lineup includes Mark Morris (guitar, lead vocals); Charlie Parker Mertens (upright bass); Coleman Smith (violin);and Alex Johnstone (mandolin, vocals). This Colorado ensemble uses classical, gypsy, bluegrass, pop, swing, and other world rhythms to create what is, and can only be described of as, Rapidgrass.

Justin Konrad

Bowregard

@Bowregard On Instagram

Bowregard has taken the Colorado bluegrass world by storm, winning both the 2019 Telluride Bluegrass Band Contest and the 2018 Ullrgrass Bluegrass Band Contest within a year of forming. Sweet and mournful vocal harmonies join nimble picking and strikingly original songwriting and arrangements that combine old-time music, progressive new acoustic music, and bluegrass into a truly unique sound unlike anything else on the front range of Colorado. Their onstage energy is undeniable, with the band working a single vocal mic to drive the crowd into a whirlwind that fills the dance floor and doesn’t let up until the last note of the night.

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